Jethro tull - For michael Collins Jeffrey and me

[willicat441]

I remember Crosby, Stills and Nash and Young stealing all the spotlight, and I still preferred the wonderful acoustic work of Tull. I get sick when I think Ian writes this stuff in an afternoon!

[lentorpe]

My favourite Tull´s song :)

[Aldebaron9]

great history of fantastic music considering just another Stuck up Snotty Leo ASS.

[dirac33]

By odd coincidence, the album "Benefit" was released on April 20 1970, three days after Apollo 13 returned home.

[dirac33]

By odd coincidence, the album "Benefit" was released on April 20 1970, three days after Apollo 13 returned home.

[dirac33]

This is an amazing song. Of course Collins himself was more than happy to tend the Columbia while the others walked, but media types heaped on him a regret that did not actually exist. So Ian Anderson picks up on that and ties it in with the military industrial complex (money power win) and the atavistic desire to "spread monkey seed" everywhere and as a subtext, violate the age-old pristine perfection of Luna Mater. What a song.

[MegaAndreNo]

Un grand

[alexandramente]

bellissima <3

[permaveg]

Brilliant !!

[Aldebaron9]

smoke a joint, Ian.

[Aldebaron9]

Is this song about walking on the moon ????????????

[prsmj]

@Aldebaron9 Is about Michael Collins, the astronaut that travel on the apollo mission but can't walk on the moon

[Sparenberg22]

O shit benefit

[kylinthakilla00]

love it

[captainlockheed214]

anyone who dislikes this song is a troglodyte

[Jessy4207]

Song is phenomenal. Too bad you could'nt find a live performance. I'd love to see Ian do that. Very nice video though.

[plastiqueadapte]

Thanks for posting this wonderful Tull song !

[uncleambient]

Great soing from a fantastis band: Jethro Tull

[ubenza]

I'm with you LEM..

My favorite song about the Space race

[danielhoude]

a great album...Cd or vinyl. And yes, this is a song that help me to remembered the great old days to listen Jethro all night

[bloozemc]

like fine wine...these songs just get better

[MatteBIack]

Horrible.

[gcard2112]

incredible!

[arklat]

Something about Ian Anderson tells me that he doesn't need any award or regognition to validate his work, or contribution to music. I don't really know if he was truly commercially motivated, like the Beatles, or a true artist, who had a following of people who loved their music. Either way, they were not really a commercial success, like the Stones, or Beatles. More like The Kinks, or Grateful dead, who were self-indulgent, and if you liked it, great. If not, great too! Long live Jethro Tull!!!

[themore09]

RRHOF is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame isn't it?

It's not really something we bother with much (as to who's in and who's not) in the UK, but please comment if you disagree! Thanks.

[busterbone]

@themore09 Jethro Tull deserves to be in the RRHOF as much or more than anyone else. The voters must be or have been smoking crack or something. JT rules forever!-love this song and all of them on the "Benefit" and "Stand-Up" albums especially.

[Floydian6973]

@busterbone I totally agree man but it'll never happen. Tull fell out with the critics with A Passion Play and then after that in my opinion they just never achieved that awesome success. So later albums are really good (Heavy Horses personally) but others are not so good. For instance, Tull's foray into the electronic world wasn't well received at all. I still dream of the day they get admitted though.....

[busterbone]

@Floydian6973 thanx for the info-but i hope that ur wrong about Jethro Tull never being able to get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-bcuz they really deserve it! "Benefit" and "Stand Up" r such great albums.

[themore09]

1st heard this album 40 yrs ago & it's still so powerful. The 1st album I bought as a teenager (just!) and I played it to death for weeks. Sandwiched between 2 bona fide classics (Stand Up & Aqualung) I think Benefit is often overlooked, as it's an absolute gem in its own right. As for this song does anybody else think that Ian Anderson actually 'welded' two song ideas into 1, as the verse and chorus are so totally different?. Anyway, the opening melody is one of the most beautiful things

ever

[kevin652010]

PS. What is RRHOF?!??

[kevin652010]

Well cool , weirdoes!!!!! If you don't like this you are either too young, too old, or you just suck the big wazoo!

[sudhavishwanath]

I have always heard this song as part of the album so as it ends I expect to hear the awesome begining of "to cry you a song"...

[derfzus]

Pure Genius! Both in lyrics and music. But, this was extraordinarily the usual from Ian Anderson and Tull.... Works that have been beyond the comprehension of RRHOF voters, resulting a lack of credibility for that institution.

[shellman211]

I have loved Tull's music since it first came out. I have seen him in several concerts including Aqualung, Thick As a Brick, WarChild and Passion Play. I feel blessed to have him in my life!!!!

[pinamar13]

EL YO HA SIDO Y SERA PARA MI !!!

[riktok]

missing a great friend who introduced me to tull sounds in teenage years, and happened to love this song ... tull is magical

[hoserintraining]

Tull is the most overlooked band in history

[gnizak]

As far as not getting to walk on the moon, I'd say getting a Jethro Tull song in your honor is about the best consolation available.

[TheDaytripperr]

yllebarn. thank you. thank you. and thank you once again.

[79stephaniem]

this song ROCKS!!

[fireflyzip]

Great job. One of my favorites..I love the Benefit album

[modelleg]

I love that low piano...ba-dumm. That's so cool.

[Bertusik22]

Once When I played this band to my friend,he was like:What the hell,this is some kind field music,they still live in the woods.I said: Yeah man,exactly,this is it.

[stormcats2]

early 70's this band transported me into another world ... for years still do

[infodisinfo]

since i was a kid I have been trying to put my finger on just why Tull is, and always will be my favorite band. now, here this moment after reading your post I know why... funny, I guess all these years I have been over analizing the whole idea?

many thanks!

[5872steve]

And the bogdwellers thought this is about the fudge pusher

[KaiBailey]

When I took the time to look on various websites to learn about what this song is about, now I enjoy it even more.

Easily one of my favorite Tull songs.

[jeffandchristina]

in my top 3 Tull tunes... great stuff

[nootaramus]

Gm7-- excuse me

[ppanama]

ian anderson was the minstral of the gallery, in any time or age. pure genius, from composition to performance.

here's to rubbing elbows with Ian!

[tubite2]

Hope it is on the list for the Acoustic tour this fall.

[davidcl40]

Perfect song for the 40Th Anniversary of the Moon landing. Just an increadable song.

[thepathlesspath]

Hey, this song is actually about the first moon landing. "Michael Collins," is an often forgotten astronaut, who wasn't able to walk on the moon (had to remain in orbit). "I'm left behind when I should have been there, walking with you..."

[WICD1969]

Has this great song ever been played live?

[nootaramus]

beautiful Gm meanderings- could have been about anything tho- I never was real clear on the words until now- thought it was about 17th century dope smokers or some such Tull exploration !

[catssweet]

It's one of my great favs from benefit. (Which is in my opinion with his unique style one of Tulls classics) Though I luv them all. (Nearly^^)

[pestarzt]

this is so great. srsly... can't believe that ppl write such beautiful tunes

[dwah18]

I love this song...no clue what it's about. Benefit is probably my fav Tull album, so underrated.

[ChrisPCr3am]

its about the apollo 11 landing on the moon. "Im with you LEM, tho its a shame it had to be you" The LEM was the lunar module. And there were three on that mission: Armstrong, Aldrin, and.... Michael Collins, the one who was left behind. "Its on my mind im left mind when i should have been there" its michael collins, like 006, one short of the big time, wishing armstrong and aldren luck as he looks down from orbit

[dwah18]

ah! Excellent! Leave it to Ian to sing for the unsung! I love it.

[XG5A]

what a cool topic to write a song about! something you certainly don't hear every day...

[zappatull2]

i love jeff roe tell

[ChrisPCr3am]

Jeff roe tell? Come on man.

[Taylour49]

great song. Never realized it was about astronat though. OhWell

[Ulfnarr]

hahah, mr. anderson really did look like a young lion back then.

we should be grateful to evolution because of creations like these, may jethro tull go on rocking. and on and on and on.

[Wopefi]

Ulfnarr, you cant call it a "creation" if you are relating anything in existence to evolution.

Noob.

[Ulfnarr]

this song is a creation.

made by a group of homo sapiens.

a race evolved from certain apes.

feel free to message me if you still don't get the picture, dude.

[dogigniter]

haha, read what he actually said 'creation made by a group of homo sapiens'. anyway, how petty.

[wetweasel56]

Anybody find any videos or pictures with Jeffery Hammond Hammond in them? Seems an illusive fellow.

[Prestonboy]

This track is a favourite of the novelist Ian Banks who wrote the 'Wasp Factory' etc and he seems a proud Tull Fan :-)

[maida1982a]

a beautiful melody from the band's best period

[antua62]

Siempre me ha gustado este album, aunque no es mi cancion favorita del mismo me remonta a los años de escuela, gracias por el recuerdo yllebarn !!!!

[JoeChrisMorris]

Great stuff, though my favorite Tull is Stand Up

Poor Mike Collins - never got to walk on the moon. I assume the 2nd verse is about him being in the capsule and going in orbit around the moon

[bereteando]

English rock group Jethro Tull has a song For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me which appears on the Benefit album from 1970. The song compares the feelings of misfitting from vocalist Ian Anderson (and friend Jeffrey Hammond) with the astronaut's own, as he is left behind by the ones who had the privilege to walk on the surface of the moon. (wiki)

[fiesolo]

Yes, Stand Up is amazing:nothing is easy.

I think Thick as a Brick is definitely

Tull's best effort, though any song by them

is fine! I never get tired of any sound

by Jethro Tull. They get me through anything.

anne.

[hillcrestjh]

Benefit- the Zenith for Tull.

[siggi5153]

My favourite band. listen to my wondrin´aloud version.

[CopperClock]

this is why i love youtube & its citizens. i needed - NEEDED - to hear this, have only the old vinyl far away in storage & knew that someone would have put it up. thanks.

[jojovava07]

I absolutely love this song, thank you for posting it. Tull live forever!!!

[canley1]

I have always loved this song, it takes me back to my teenage years: so fragile and beautiful.

Tull forever!

[rickyblount2007]

As a photographer/image manipulator, I find that this Album cover art begs the question: How was it done?

[lecartable]

Mon album favori. Me rappelle de merveilleux souvenirs. Plate qu'on ne voit pas le groupe en show mais bon...

[Notimeleftforyou2]

One of my favorite early Tull songs... Benefit is a great album as well! They sound so great live also. Ian Anderson always puts on a terrific show.

[AllGoodeThings]

Well done, I like it.

What a great early Tull song.